1 of 1- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,156
Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
This new-to-me 1966 Olivetti-Underwood 21 typewriter will be at my home by this week's end.
Nice conditioned, working machine and very decent case.
Have been looking forward to giving one a 'test drive'.
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- Platen Punisher
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- From: Perth Western Australia
- Registered: 14-7-2020
- Posts: 99
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
Hi Pete, apparently it's basically a Studio 44. Sounds really nice.
Did your Hermes Baby arrive?
'Paraiso' Gerry Mulligan with Jane Duboc 1993
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,156
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
Hi Zoom, No not yet. Last entry in the tracking system has it with US Customs. Maybe next week here at our home.
This O-U 21 might be a "catch & release" machine for me. Am more curious about how it types than in love with its looks...but sometimes a solid-typing machine stays in my home for just that reason...regardless of plain-Jane looks.
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Thread Starter- zoom
- Platen Punisher
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- From: Perth Western Australia
- Registered: 14-7-2020
- Posts: 99
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
Hi Pete, I have never seen a Lettera 44, but from the pictures, the mechanism is very similar to the 22 (my favourite portable), at least from what I have seen of the carriage (bearing transport), being entirely different to the later homogeneous carriage transport including the Lettera 32 (which btw is a machine that I really like). So... yeah, appearance is one thing, but I have a 32 as well as a Dora, and I prefer the Dora, even though the iconic 32 was the origin the same mechanism.
I hope you can follow all that (not well written), but I'll be most interested in your opinion of the 21.
'Paraiso' Gerry Mulligan with Jane Duboc 1993
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,156
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
1966 Olivetti-Underwood 21
New machine to my home. It was a $ 60 win on SGW with $ 12 shipping.In very good working order. Just needed a good cleaning and some light oiling. Couple of slow-to-return keys are now taken care of.
Only nick in any of the paint is on the front of the frame in the middle of the space bar area.
Case is immaculate and even has its manual, brush/eraser kit, and a dust cover.Very easy machine to type on, responsive, and fast moving. I like the "Indent" function with its dedicated key.
Typewriter without its case weighs in at 16.0 lbs. This surprised me...being so hefty.
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Thread Starter- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,156
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
New photos : 
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Thread Starter- zoom
- Platen Punisher
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- From: Perth Western Australia
- Registered: 14-7-2020
- Posts: 99
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
That's really something Pete, It's been well cared for for sure. Its a real pleasure to see your images, I must try and get that organised.
'Paraiso' Gerry Mulligan with Jane Duboc 1993
- duna
- New Member
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- From: Venice, Italy
- Registered: 30-8-2020
- Posts: 12
Re: Olivetti-Underwood 21 In-Coming...
Very nice machine. I have an almost spotless Studio 44, same machine but branded Olivetti and different (Nizzoli) design. Made in (yess) South Africa, it is a regular italian QZERTY so I wonder how it made the trip back to Italy. Maybe demand was so large that Olivetti imported machines in Italy from their factories with excess capacity in other countries .
As far as I know the cinematic of these machines is unique and very different from those of the Letteras. The typewriter is strangely bulky for a portable, the closest thing to a portable-standard I have typed on. Mine is nice to work on, very stable, you can go type around the page but if you come back, characters will still be aligned with no need to release paper and re-seat on platen. The touch becomes lighter with repeated use. Not noisy, but not as "quiet" as the marvelous Quiet-Riter.
